Improvement in metallic corners for coffins



P.-BRAILLY. METALLIC 001mm FOR COFFIN. No. 172,077. Patente-c1 J'a.n. 11 1876.

wrruzssss i 7' I INVENTO'R V {22% i MPG-TENS, PMOTOJJTHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

PHILIPPE BRAILLY, OF BELLA RE, OHIO.

IMRRQVEMENT IN METALLIC CORNERS FOR COEFINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,077, dated January 11, 1876; application filed May 25, 1875., r

- To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, PHILIPPE BRAILLY, of Bellaire, in the county'of Belmont and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Corners for Burial- Oaskets and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Coffins and caskets of modern construction haveinside corner-blocks, which are necessary to receive the padding and lining tacks, and which serve in a measure as a means for securing the end and side slabs together, but such means of fastening has been found inadequate to prevent the cotfin from becoming separated at the corners, by becoming unduly seasoned, or swelling when in the ground. I utilize this inside corner-block as the means of securing an outside metallic corner in such manner that the side and end slabs will be firmly clamped between the angular sides of the inside block, and the corresponding sides of the metallic corner, by screws passing into and through these-lapped parts, and which, while joining them firmly, forms an inner and an outer covering for the corner joints, and thereby render the usual inside corner-block advantageous in a very important particular. I have combined with such separate outside metallic corner for the box a separate metallic corner for the lid, and these two join and forma close joint by means of a lip from the lid-corner overlapping and joining the angles of the molding on the base corner, whereby the separate corners have the appearance of a single casting, and the corners of the box and lid braced alike.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents one end of a burial-casket with the joining metallic corners for the box and lid; Fig. 2, a horizontal section through the corner, showing the side and end slabs embraced by,and clamped between, the inside block and the outside metallic corner; and Fig. 3 a vertical section through the joined metallic corners of the box and lid.

In wooden coifins or caskets,,the corners,

instead of being right-angled, are out OK to give a proper shape. Separate wooden blocks are secured in the inner side of each of these corners to fasten the padding and lining to, and join the ends of the slabs. These inside corner-blocks B have the form of isosceles triangles, the angular sides 12 b of which fit upon the inner sides of the end and side slabs E and S, as shown in Fig. 2. The metallic corner (J has angular sides 2 6' corresponding to the sides I) b of the block, and which fit over the outer sides of the side and end slabs, so that the slabs are embraced by and between the angular sides I) b and e e of the block B,

through the lapped parts, and secures the whole together by clamping the corner to the inside block 13 with the slabs between the two, and thus bring and hold the slabs very securely together. The metallic corner may be ornamented by having moldings m cast with it at top and bottom. These moldings m may be either cast solid, to be fitted flush against the wood-work, or so as to leave a socket, s, for the tongue of the usual wooden molding of the slabs, if it be preferred to so construct the casket. Combined with these base-cor: ners are lid-corners O fastened in the same manner as the lower corners. The lid-corners have their lower edges extended toform lips l, as shown in Fig. 3, which lap over the upper angular edge of the corner 0, and joining the molding m rest thereon to form a close joint, and to bring the screw-holes coincident in fastening on the lid. The corner may be stamped out of sheet metal to make it lighter.

It will be observed that the junction formed by the upper and lower corners at the overlapping parts have their angles coincident, and brace each other at two points, which makes a close fit and brings the lid always in exact position to receive the screw fastenings, and prevents the least side movement in fastening the lid. This is an important advantage growing out of the intermatching angles ner connections of the slabs; but I do not know that outside metallic corners have been combined with the usual inside corner-blocks in a manner to clamp the ends of the joining slabs between these parts; nor do I know that metallic corners for both the base and the lid have been separately employed with a joining lip and molding to make a close joint outside of that formed by the inside blocks, and with intermatching angles to brace the two firmly when joined and secured.

I claim 1. The outer metallic corner 0, having the angular sides 0 c, and the inner wooden block together by the screws 8 sfin the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In combination with the separate metallic corner 0, constructed and secured as described, the separate lid-cover 0 with its molding m and lip Z arranged to form a bracingjunction with the angles of the lower metallic corner, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' PHILIPPE BRAILLY. Witnesses A. E. H. JOHNSON, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON. 

